


there's a hole in this story

by orphan_account



Category: Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Asian American Lawyers Verse, Bets, Jealousy, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-07-23
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apollo visits the Prosecutor’s Building. It’s an interesting visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	there's a hole in this story

Mr. Wright really needs to start taking care of his own affairs, or hire an assistant, or get his act together. Or all of the above. With fresh case files taken from Mr. Wright himself, Apollo makes his way through the foyer and takes care not to run into any passerby on the way.  
  
"Excuse me! Pardon me! I'm sorry! Please don't bend tha--" The pile of binders in his arms threaten to topple over when a hand steadies it.  
  
"Need a hand?" a voice asks.  
  
He smiles gratefully at the man and sees that it's Prosecutor Edgeworth.  
  
"M-Mr. Edgeworth!" he blurts out, alarmed.  
  
"Apollo Justice," he greets.  
  
Miles Edgeworth knows his name. His name. His face. If his hands weren't full, he would definitely have rubbed his forehead, overwhelmed and starstruck.  
  
"You're the talk of the Prosecutor's Office these days, Mr. Justice."  
  
 _Mr. Justice_. He never thought--not even in a million years that Miles Edgeworth would be talking to _him_ or calling him _Mr. Justice_.  
  
The thought makes him rub at his arm nervously, and he tries to will himself into not blushing as Mr. Edgeworth gives him an approximating once-over. It takes all he has not to think about the large stash of _Lawyerly_ TM hiding under his bed with Mr. Edgeworth's face on the cover, and definitely it takes all he has not to think about the way he likes to take them out every now and then to sigh over them dreamily like an embarrassing schoolboy.  
  
Mr. Edgeworth raises a brow. Apollo's _sure_ that he sees through his thin veneer of composure, which has him clearing his throat, because _that's embarrassing_ \--not that he's really a stranger to embarrassment, but this is _Miles. Edgeworth_. Miles Edgeworth who he totally didn't jerk off to in high school--and then he starts coughing again.  
  
He looks alarmed. "Are you all right, Mr. Justice? Do you--"  
  
"I-I'm fine, sir!" he manages to say. Apollo wants to cringe-- _not my smoothest moment_. More like the longest unsmooth moment of his life.  
  
 _Keep it together, Justice_! He straightens and looks up at Mr. Edgeworth, who's definitely smiling at him. The corners of his mouth are turned up in amusement and what he thinks is endearment. A crooked smile. That's definitely endearment. It makes Apollo blush; he can feel it in his ears and he runs a hand through his hair, trying to appear nonchalant. He's cool, real cool. All those days in a courtroom with Prosecutor Gavin weren't without their benefits, right? Apollo Justice is a cool guy.  
  
"Uh, so what's the word down here about me?" he asks, grinning.  
  
"It isn't often that we see the defense display your level of enthusiasm." His smile turns two parts amusement, and Apollo feels himself pale a little.  
  
"There are also some interesting rumors going around." He says it pleasantly, but it _feels_ like an accusation. Apollo can only imagine what sort of rumors are circulating about him here, and all the while the smile never leaves Mr. Edgeworth's face.  
  
It's apparent in that stare how this man was at one time called the Demon Prosecutor. Apollo can only imagine how many young defense attorneys like him were terrified into Mr. Edgeworth's perfect win record.  
  
"O-oh, like?" He hopes he sounded less like a dying cat to Mr. Edgeworth's ears than his own.  
  
If he thought he did, Mr. Edgeworth gives no such indication. Instead he leans in a little and speaks in a stage whisper. "There are several betting pools going around," he arches a brow, "but I believe the most popular is which of the defense has taken advantage of the Court House meeting room for sex."  
  
All pretense of cool goes flying out the window with that one. Apollo chokes a little and splutters. "I--um, _what_?" _Just what sort of an office is this_?!  
  
Mr. Edgeworth gives him a consoling sort of pat. "The Prosecutor's Office is an interesting place."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," he mutters, shuffling his files again. Hearing laughter, he looks up.  
  
"You also classify as being quite interesting, Mr. Justice."  
  
Something clicks. Oh. He's flirting with him. That's--well, that's new. It takes everything in him not to _gape_ at Mr. Edgeworth, who's apparently _flirting with him_ while he's standing in the Prosecutor's Office downtown? The world flips upside down and then it doesn't. After all, stranger things have happened in his life. Really...stranger...things....  
  
Tilting his head just so, he looks up at Mr. Edgeworth, who is still smiling pleasantly at him and he wonders how easy it would be to lean up on his toes and show him just how interesting Apollo can be. Just as he's considering, he feels an arm around his shoulder.  
  
"I would appreciate if you didn't harass the defense the day before the trial, Prosecutor Edgeworth." An all-too familiar voice says in his hear.  
  
Mr. Edgeworth crosses his arms and nods. "Hardly my intention, Prosecutor Gavin."  
  
He looks over so fast he nearly gets whiplash; Apollo sees that it really is Prosecutor Gavin, standing there in all his foppish glory. Before he can get in a word, he grins at Apollo. "What brings you down to the Office today, Herr Forehead?"  
  
"I, uh...had to deliver something to Mr. Wright," he explains, trying to shrug his hand off. Prosecutor Gavin remains steadfast, giving him a look, before one fine brow arches.  
  
"Herr Wright?" he says, to no one in particular. "Oh, yes, Herr Wright! I just saw him."  
  
If Apollo didn't know better, he would have said that in that moment Klavier Gavin looked like he was _scheming_. But Apollo knows better than that...right? He stares hard at Prosecutor Gavin as he settles in closer to his side and smiles at Mr. Edgeworth, the very picture of sincerity.  
  
"He told me to tell you, Herr Edgeworth, that he wants to speak with you," he says, without batting an eyelash. Apollo's bracelet tightens around his wrist and he can see the way Prosecutor Gavin's fingers drum against his shoulder, slapdash and without rhythm.  
  
"Wright wants to see me?" He sounds concerned; Apollo can commiserate.  
  
"Yes, he was just in front of your office right now," Gavin says smoothly.  
  
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he's lying through his teeth about, but he can't for the life of him figure out _why_.  
  
Maybe he intensely dislikes Mr. Edgeworth? But he feels so relaxed and at ease beside him that Apollo really doubts it's _dislike_ ; the way Mr. Edgeworth smiles pleasantly back hardly speaks to this theory either. If not intense dislike, then maybe the opposite is true. But then he would be chasing Apollo away, right?  
  
Baffled, he gives Prosecutor Gavin a blatantly scrutinizing look. It infuriates him when he does nothing but continue to act charming and glib and--and cool. Apollo is about to open his mouth and ask just what he's trying to accomplish here, when he hears someone speaking to him.  
  
"--will see you around, Mr. Justice." Blinking, he snaps back to reality and sees Mr. Edgeworth's arm outstretched.  
  
It takes two seconds for him to realize that he wants him to--right, it's only customary. Taking the opportunity to slide his way out of Prosecutor Gavin's hold, Apollo wipes his hand against his pant leg and shakes his hand, feeling a little faint because he's shaking _Miles Edgeworth's hand_.  
  
"Y-yeah! I'll definitely see you around, sir!" he says, grinning wide. When he finally lets go, Mr. Edgeworth smiles again before he walks off towards the elevators.  
  
He flexes his hand, stares at it, because he's decided that he is never going to wash it ever again. Suppressing a sigh, he knows that his life is probably complete at this moment.  
  
Prosecutor Gavin gives a small snort and he turns back to look at him. It surprises him to see how...petulant he looks, not like his usual unflappable self.  
  
"Do you have something to say?" he asks, feeling bold. _And now everybody gets to be out of character!_  
  
Shrugging, Prosecutor Gavin pulls his carefully woven composure back together. "Can't I say hello to my favorite defense attorney?"  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Apollo tries his hand at interrogation. "But you already saw Mr. Wright earlier, right?"  
  
He blinks at Apollo, clearly surprised, before he _laughs_. "My, how clever our Forehead has become." 

He reaches out as if to tap his forehead--an all too familiar action--before he hesitates in a sudden and jagged motion that Apollo hasn't seen from him in all of their acquaintance. Even in the panicked last moments of Mr. Gavin's trial, he had maintained an air of cool that Apollo knew he certainly couldn't have mustered. Now he looks at Apollo for a moment and smiles, patting his cheek.  
  
"Although I did enjoy the antics of our naïve little Forehead best," he says quietly, like an admission as he looks Apollo in the eye.  
  
The bracelet around his wrist stays calm, and Apollo drops his case files.  
  
There's a beat of silence where a soft smile appears on Prosecutor Gavin's lips, and it doesn't fade when he kneels to pick up the binders. Apollo joins him seconds later, counting backwards in Japanese to himself.  
  
 _Juu, kyuu, hachi_.  
  
"T-thanks," he stammers, gathering the binders. His face burns, and he can hear his heart hammer away in his chest, in time to the rapid pulse beating against the smooth wood of his bracelet.  
  
 _ Nana, roku, go. _  
  
"Always a pleasure." Prosecutor Gavin makes no motion to back away even when they do stand, and that's actually a huge problem for him right now, so he takes a step back.  
  
 _ Yon, san, ni. _  
  
"I guess I should head back now," he says, feeling less like he's choking now. A hesitant touch to his neck confirms that yes, he is still as red as a beet.  
  
Prosecutor Gavin is the first to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Herr Justice." He grins at him over his shoulder.  
  
"See you tomorrow," Apollo swallows, "...Prosecutor Gavin."  
  
 _Ichi_.  
  
Even when the sounds of Prosecutor Gavin's footsteps fade away, the dawning moment of realization plays over in Apollo's head, taking on the beat of his pulse.

**Author's Note:**

> my interpretation of pretty much the entire cast of ace attorney leaves these characters as being asian americans who live in california, hence the distinction for apollo's counting.


End file.
